WHAT WE BELIEVE as an INDEPENDENT REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH

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ESSENTIALS

1.  Creation: We believe that God spoke all of creation into being by decree as a direct manifestation of His power. (Genesis 1-2)
2. Fall: We believe that man was created good and immortal with the ability of obedience or disobedience. However, through the disobedience of Adam all of humanity became slave to sin, all of creation was cursed, and death became a present reality of man as the just reward for sin. (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12-14)
3. Salvation: We believe that a member must be saved and acknowledge the essential doctrines regarding salvation:
   • Acknowledge they have sinned against God. (Romans 3:10-20, 23, 1 John 1:8,10)
   • The penalty of our sin is death and eternal destruction. (Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:9)
   • Jesus Christ is Gods’ only provision for man’s sin. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, John 3:36)
   • Salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, meaning that we have trusted in the redemptive work of Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
4. The Nature of God: We believe in the one true and living God who is personal, omnipresent, eternal, dependent on none, unchanging, truthful, trustworthy, almighty, sovereign, omniscient, righteous, holy, good, loving, merciful, long-suffering, and gracious (among other attributes). (Exodus 34:5-7, Deut. 4:31, Deut. 6:4, Deut. 10:17 Isaiah 43:10, Revelation 4:11)
   
5. The Trinity: We believe in one divine and infinite Being consisting of three Persons: The Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided (link: Deut. 6:4-6, John 1:1-5, 10:30, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Cor. 3:17).
6. The Holy Scripture: We believe that Almighty God has revealed all that is necessary for life and salvation in the sixty-six books of the Holy Scripture, which are the Word of God. All Scripture was given by inspiration of God, is infallible and inerrant, and is the final arbiter in all disputes. Its authority is derived from its Author and not from the opinions of men. (Link 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 19, Psalm 119)
7. The Virgin Birth: We believe that God sent His Son into the world, conceived of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, unchangeably sinless; fully God and fully man (link: Matt. 1:18-25, Col. 1:15-18).
8. The Ascension of Christ: We believe that Gods’ Son ascended to the right hand of His Father and is enthroned in glory, where He alone intercedes on behalf of His people and rules over all things for their sake (link: Acts 1:9-11, Hebrews 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, Romans 8:34).
9. The Universal Church: We believe the church, which may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the bride, the body, the fullness of Christ (link: 1 Cor. 12:12-30, 1 Peter 2:4-10, Rev. 21:1-9).
10. The Local Church: We believe the local church is the visible expression of the Universal Church. The local church is under the authority of Christ alone, Who has called/ordained men to be Pastors (Elders) for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. Deacons also serve Christ as His ministers of mercy (Link: 1 Timothy 3, 6:17-22, Titus 1:5-16).
11. Church Ordinances: We believe that Baptism by immersion and the Lords’ Supper (Communion) are gospel ordinances practiced by the local church. (Link: Matt. 26:26-29, Matt. 28:16-20, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:13-20, 1 Cor: 11:23-32)
    1. Read our position paper on Baptism (PDF)
    2. Read our position paper on Communion (PDF)
12. Eschatology: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ shall come again to raise the dead bodily, both righteous and unrighteous, and that the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life and the wicked shall endure everlasting punishment (link: Matt. 25:31-46, 1 These. 4:13-18, 2 Tim. 2:16-19, 2 Peter 3:3-13, Rev. 20:11-15).

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EVANGELICAL

1. Sola Scriptura: We believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament alone are Scripture, and Scripture alone is inspired (literally: breathed out by) God as the only sufficient, authoritative, inerrant, and infallible guide for all Christian doctrine and practice (link: Psalm 119, Isaiah 55:10-11, 2 Timothy 3:14-17).
   1. We hold to verbal plenary inspiration of the original manuscripts of the Bible.
2. Solus Christus: We believe that the finished work of Christ alone is the ground of salvation as through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection He propitiated the wrath of God, rescued sinners from the bondage of sin, justified guilty sinners, defeated death, gave us His Righteousness, and made us to be adopted Sons of God and the Bride of Christ (link: John 14:6, Acts 4:8-12, Romans 3:21-26, 8:28-30). 
   
3. Sola Gratia: We believe that salvation comes by the grace of God alone and not by any work of man, such that no man, woman, or child has any ground for boasting in himself (link: Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 4:16-25, 1 Cor. 1:18-21).
4. Sola Fide: We believe that salvation comes through faith alone in Christ alone. Saving faith consists of three parts: content (knowledge of the gospel itself), assent to the truthfulness of that content, and a willing trust in the finished work of Christ as your only hope of salvation (link: Romans 4:16-25, Ephesians 2:4-10).
5. Soli Deo Gloria: We believe that God is utterly sovereign in everything: creation, redemption, and consumption, all glory rightly goes to God alone (link: Romans 11:33-36, Isaiah 48:11, Isaiah 43:7).

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REFORMED

1. Total Depravity: We believe that through Adam’s sin, all of humanity became enslaved to sin and as such, there is no part of any human that is not corrupted by sin. We are not as bad as we could possibly be, but no part of unregenerate man has escaped sin’s corruption (Link: John 3:19-21, Romans 3:10-20, Ephesians 2:1-3).
2. Unconditional Election: We believe that God elected (or decreed) who would and who would not be saved from before the creation of the world not based on anything within us but purely for His own purposes (link: Deut. 7:7-10, Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 9).
3. Limited Atonement: We believe that the death of Christ is efficacious in accomplishing salvation, and, therefore, Christ’s death atones only for those who are saved (link: Matt. 1:21, John 6:35-40, Galatians 1:3-4, Colossians 5:18-19).
4. Irresistible Grace: We believe that when the Holy Spirit applies that finished work of Christ to an individual in grace. That grace is irresistible, not in a way that does damage to the individual’s will but in the way that a blind man may walk over a cliff, but that same man given the ability to see the cliff edge will not (link: Deut. 30:3, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Matt. 13:10-17, Romans 8:14, 1 Cor. 2:10-13 ).
5. Perseverance of the Saints: We believe that the believer who has truly received the grace of God through faith will persevere to the end, and God has provided assurance of that by giving us His Holy Spirit as the downpayment of our inheritance (link: Jeremiah 32:40, John 17:11-15, Ephesians 1:3-14, Hebrews 9:12-15, Jude 24-25).
   

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BAPTIST

1. Credo Baptist: We believe that water baptism symbolizes the believer dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ, and, as such, the sign of baptism is only properly performed on those with a credible profession of faith (link: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:36-38, 16:29-34, 1 Peter 3:18-22).
   
2. Immersion: We believe that as the word underlying baptism means “to overwhelm” or “to immerse,” baptism as a rule should consist of the full immersion of the believer, however, we believe that this can be waived in select cases, as judged by the elders, where physical inability makes full immersion unwise (link: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:36-38, 16:29-34, 1 Peter 3:18-22).
   
3. Water baptism is not salvific: We believe that baptism, while important, is an act of man testifying to a deeper spiritual reality that has already happened in the life of a believer. As such, water baptism ought to be performed as our Lord commanded, and yet cannot save anyone (link: Romans 4:16-25, 5:8-9, Ephesians 2:4-10).
   

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INDEPENDENT

1. Independence of the local church: We believe that the tasks of the Great Commission: evangelism, discipleship, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, have been entrusted by God to the local church, and, as such, while local churches can and should band together where they can, the responsibility for remaining true to Christian faith and practice belongs to the local church (Matthew 28:18-20, Revelation 2:12-17).
2. Elder Rule: We believe that the Bible calls for the local church to be governed by a plurality of elders who are to faithfully watch over the flock of God as His under-shepherds (link: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-16, Hebrews 13:17).
   

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Here is our complete Confession of Faith (PDF) ("Things Most Surely Believed Among Us”). If you have questions you can contact us with the form below and we will help you understand our awesome God even more.